Rockies' Nicasio tops players for Saturday, Sept. 28; Cards' Wainwright rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers player rankings

Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio is Saturday's Player of the Day, while Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright rises to second place in Box-Toppers player rankings on the penultimate (and next-to-last) day of the season.

Nicasio pitched 5 1/3 shutout innings and struck out seven in the 1-0 win over the Dodgers. The Rockies spoiled Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke's chance of scoring 20.0 Box-Toppers points for the season. Greinke, who started the game and pitched well (6IP 1R 7K), picked up the loss, earned no Box-Toppers points and ends his season with 19.4 points, falling from second to third place in player rankings. 

Wainwright, meanwhile, passes Greinke in Box-Toppers player rankings, rising from third to second (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). Wainwright (5.1IP 0R 5K in 6-2 win vs. Cubs) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Game, giving him 20.2 for the season. He and Box-Toppers points leader, Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, are the only two players with 20.0 Box-Toppers points this season (in 2012, there were three). This is Wainwright's highest season total in Box-Toppers points, passing 2010, when he scored 19.7.

Indians pitcher Scott Kazmir is American League Player of the Day. Kazmir struck out 11 over six innings in the 5-1 win over the Twins. Kazmir earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 12.8 for the season and putting him in 29th place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Brad Miller of the Mariners is AL Batter of the Day. Miller hit two homers, including a grand slam in the 7-5 win over the Athletics. 

Marlon Byrd of the Pirates is National League Batter of the Day. Byrd homered and went 3-for-4 in the 8-3 win over the Reds. 

Notables: Rangers pitcher Dan Haren rises to 52nd place in Box-Toppers rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Haren (7IP 0R W in 7-4 win vs. Angels) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.4 for the season. 

Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte earned Player of the Game honors in his final career start. Pettitte (CG 1R W in 2-1 win vs. Astros) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.0 for the season, but giving him 138.5 for his career since 1995 (when Box-Toppers record keeping began), putting him in 19th place on the all-time (since 1995) list.

Nicasio receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kazmir receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Miller and Byrd each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Saturday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

928	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	8.1	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Juan Nicasio (W, 9-9)	5.1	3	0	0	1	7
	7.1	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Adam Wainwright (W, 19-9)	5.1	2	0	0	1	5
	7.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dan Haren (W, 10-14)	7.0	4	0	0	1	5
AL	7.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Kazmir (W, 10-9)	6.0	6	1	1	2	11
BAT	5.0	Mariners	Brad Miller SS	4	2	2	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Andy Pettitte (W, 11-11)	9.0	5	1	1	2	5
	3.1	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			J.A. Happ (W, 5-7)	7.1	5	1	1	1	4
	3.1	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kevin Gausman (W, 3-5)	1.1	0	0	0	0	2
	3.1	`Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Ramos	1.1	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	3.0	Pirates	Marlon Byrd RF	4	2	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jimmy Nelson	5.0	1	1	1	3	4
	3.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Luis Garcia (W, 1-1)	2.0	2	0	0	0	3
	2.0	Padres	Reymond Fuentes CF	1	1	1	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	`Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Robbie Ross (H, 14)	1.0	0	0	0	1	2
	1.0	White Sox	Marcus Semien SS, 3B	4	1	3	1	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Dodgers' Kershaw secures 2013 Box-Toppers Player of the Season crown; Braves' Medlen tops players for Friday, Sept. 27

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw secured his spot as Box-Toppers 2013 Player of the Season Friday, while Braves pitcher Kris Medlen was Player of the Day.

Kershaw, who earned Player of the Game honors in Friday's 11-0 win against the Rockies, now has 21.7 Box-Toppers points. He has been atop Box-Toppers player rankings since Sept. 21 and with only two games left in the season, it is wildly unlikely any other player can catch him (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). 

Kershaw now leads the second-place player, teammate Zack Greinke (19.4), by 2.3 Box-Toppers points, so even if Greinke earns Player of the Day honors in his final start Saturday against the Rockies, he can only earn 2.0 Box-Toppers points and would have 21.4—not enough to catch Kershaw.

This is the second time Kershaw has earned Box-Toppers Player of the Season honors. He was also top player in 2011, when he had 26.1 Box-Toppers points.  He was top National League player in Box-Toppers points in 2012 with 20.8.

Kershaw (6IP 0R 8K W in win vs. Rockies) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, putting him at 21.7 for the season.

Medlen, Friday's top player, pitched eight shutout innings, gave up only two hits and struck out seven in the 1-0 win over the Phillies. Medlen earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 11.0 for the season, putting him in 42nd place in Box-Toppers player rankings. 

Royals pitcher James Shields is American League Player of the Day. Shields struck out 10 over seven innings in the 6-1 win over the White Sox. 

Jayson Werth of the Nationals is NL Batter of the Day. Werth hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-2 with two walks in the 8-4 win over the Diamondbacks. 

Jonny Gomes of the Red Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Gomes homered and went 3-for-4 in the 12-3 win over the Orioles. 

Notables: Three other players who earned Player of the Game honors Friday are among the top 50 in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season: 

• Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn rises to 11th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (6IP 0R 9K W in 7-0 win vs. Cubs), giving him 16.1 for the season.
• Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon rises to 25th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (6IP 8K W in 8-2 win vs. Mariners), giving him 13.1 for the season.
• Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett rises to 49th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (8IP 1R 6K W in 4-1 win vs. Reds), giving him 10.4 for the season.

 Coming Saturday: Two pitchers in Box-Toppers player rankings top 10 are scheduled to start Saturday:

• Zack Greinke of Dodgers is scheduled to start against the Rockies. Greinke is ranked second in player rankings with 19.4 Box-Toppers points. 
• Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals is scheduled to start against the Cubs. Wainwright is ranked third in player rankings with 19.2 Box-Toppers points.

Medlen receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Shields receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Werth and Gomes each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Friday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

927	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kris Medlen (W, 15-12)	8.0	2	0	0	2	7
	11.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Lance Lynn (W, 15-10)	6.0	4	0	0	0	9
AL	10.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			James Shields (W, 13-9)	7.0	4	1	1	1	10
	10.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clayton Kershaw (W, 16-9)	6.0	4	0	0	0	8
	6.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Burnett (W, 10-11)	8.0	5	1	1	1	6
	6.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bartolo Colon (W, 18-6)	6.0	3	2	2	1	8
	6.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Adam Warren (W, 3-2)	5.0	2	0	0	1	4
BAT	5.0	Nationals	Jayson Werth RF	2	2	2	3	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Giants	Juan Perez CF	4	2	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	3.0	Red Sox	Jonny Gomes LF	4	3	3	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Indians	Drew Stubbs CF	4	3	2	2	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Neal Cotts (W, 7-3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Blue Jays	Moises Sierra RF	3	1	2	2	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jim Henderson (S, 28)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	`Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chad Qualls (H, 15)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Orioles' Gonzalez, Padres' Erlin top players for Thursday, Sept. 26

Orioles pitcher Miguel Gonzalez is Thursday's Player of the Day. Gonzalez allowed only one unearned run over seven innings in the 3-2 win over the Blue Jays. 

Padres pitcher Robbie Erlin is National League Player of the Day. Erlin struck out seven over seven innings and picked up a no-decision (he left after the seventh with the game tied) in the 3-2, 11-inning win over the Diamondbacks. 

Jason Heyward of the Braves is NL Batter of the Day. Heyward homered and went 5-for-5 in the 7-1 win over the Phillies. 

Yan Gomes of the Indians is American League Batter of the Day. Gomes homered and went 3-for-4 in the 6-5 win over the Indians. 

Notable: Rays pitcher Alex Cobb has the most Box-Toppers points among Thursday's nine players who earned Player of the Game honors. Cobb (7IP 0R in 4-0 win vs. Yankees) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 9.7 for the season, putting him in 54th place in Box-Toppers player rankings. 

Coming Friday: Two pitchers in the top 10 of Box-Toppers player rankings are scheduled to make their final regular season start Friday: 

• Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers is scheduled to start against the Rockies. Kershaw is ranked first, the Box-Toppers points leader for the season, with 20.7 points. If Kershaw earns at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point Friday, he would clinch the season Box-Toppers point lead among players, with 21.7. His nearest competitor, teammate Zack Greinke has 19.4 Box-Toppers points, and would only be able to muster 21.4 points if he earns the maximum 2.0 points in his final start.
• Patrick Corbin of the Diamondbacks is scheduled to start against the Nationals. Corbin is ranked sixth in player rankings with 17.4 Box-Toppers points. Since Corbin trails Kershaw by 3.3 Box-Toppers points, he will not be able to take the Box-Toppers points lead, because the most he can earn is 2.0 points. 

Box-Toppers Weekly Reports update: The weekly Box-Toppers Team Power Rankings and Player Rankings reports, which usually come on Friday, will come on Monday this week, after the conclusion of the season's final games Sunday.

Gonzalez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Erlin receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Heyward and Gomes each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Thursday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

926	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	8.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Miguel Gonzalez (W, 11-8)	7.0	2	1	0	1	5
	6.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alex Cobb (W, 11-3)	7.0	3	0	0	2	4
NL	6.0	`Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Robbie Erlin	7.0	3	2	2	1	7
BAT	3.0	Braves	Jason Heyward CF	5	2	5	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	3.0	Indians	Yan Gomes C	4	2	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Royals	David Lough RF	2	1	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Joe Nathan (W, 6-2)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	`Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brandon Kintzler (H, 25)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	1.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Santiago Casilla (W, 7-2)	1.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Brewers' Lohse, Mariners' Iwakuma top players for Wednesday, Sept. 25, Tigers' Scherzer rises to 5th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Brewers pitcher Kyle Lohse is Wednesday's Player of the Day, while Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. 

Lohse pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout in the 4-0 win over the Braves.

Scherzer rises from sixth to fifth in overall Box-Toppers player rankings for the season (see the updated top 10 list on the home page) after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday. Scherzer  (7IP 2H 0R 10K W in 1-0 win vs. Twins) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 18.1 for the season. He maintains his lead among American League players in Box-Toppers points. And the Tigers win clinched the AL Central title.

Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma is AL Player of the Day. Iwakuma pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 6-0 win over the Royals. Iwakuma earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 16.1 for the season, putting him in 13th place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Ryan Flaherty of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Flaherty homered twice and drove in four runs in the 9-5 win over the Blue Jays. 

Chris Robinson of the Padres is National League Batter of the Day. Robinson hit a pinch-hit three-run home run, his first Major League hit, in the 12-2 win over the Diamondbacks. This is Robinson's Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,297th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995. 

Lohse receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Iwakuma receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Flaherty and Robinson each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Wednesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

925	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kyle Lohse (W, 11-10)	9.0	2	0	0	0	5
AL	12.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hisashi Iwakuma (W, 14-6)	8.0	4	0	0	1	9
	9.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Max Scherzer (W, 21-3)	7.0	2	0	0	6	10
	7.2	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Daisuke Matsuzaka (W, 3-3)	7.2	4	0	0	2	6
BAT	7.0	Orioles	Ryan Flaherty 3B	2	3	2	4	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.0	Red Sox	Will Middlebrooks 3B	5	2	2	7	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Rays	Evan Longoria 3B	5	3	3	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	4.0	Padres	Chris Robinson PH, C	1	1	1	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Cubs	Darnell McDonald RF	4	1	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Giants	Pablo Sandoval 3B	3	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Trevor Rosenthal (S, 3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.1	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Danny Salazar (W, 2-3)	5.1	6	2	2	1	8
	2.0	Rangers	Ian Kinsler 2B	4	2	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Steve Cishek (S, 33)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ernesto Frieri (S, 37)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2

Cards' Michael Wacha, one out from no-hitter, tops players for Tuesday, Sept. 24

Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha, who was one out from pitching a no-hitter, is Tuesday's Player of the Day.

Wacha gave up his one and only hit with two outs in the ninth inning against the Nationals when Ryan Zimmerman reached on an infield single. Wacha pitched 8 2/3 shutout innings and struck out nine in the 2-0 win.

Mariners pitcher James Paxton is American League Player of the Day. Paxton pitched seven shutout innings and struck out 10 in the 4-0 win over the Royals. 

Michael Brantley of the Indians is AL Batter of the Day. Brantley homered and went 3-for-4 in the 5-4 win over the White Sox. 

Pedro Alvarez of the Pirates is National League Batter of the Day. Alvarez drove in three runs and went 2-for-5 in the 8-2 win over the Cubs. 

Notables: Braves closing pitcher Craig Kimbrel rises to 29th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday. Kimbrel (1IP 3K W in 3-2 win vs. Brewers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.7 for the season.

Blue Jays pitcher Dustin McGowan scored his first Box-Toppers point in more than five years Tuesday. McGowan, the former starter now pitching middle relief was Player of the Game in the 3-2 win over the Orioles. It is the first time he has earned Box-Toppers points since he last earned Player of the Game honors on June 10, 2008, when he started for the Blue Jays. McGowan earned 9.7 Box-Toppers points as a starter for the Blue Jays in 2007 and 3.7 in 2008.

Coming Wednesday: Two pitchers among the top 10 in Box-Toppers player rankings (see the list on the home page) are scheduled to start Wednesday:

• Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer starts against the Twins. Scherzer has 17.1 Box-Toppers points, is in sixth place overall and leads all AL players.
• Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano starts against the Cubs. Liriano has 16.7 Box-Toppers points and is in ninth place overall.

Neither Scherzer nor Liriano is in position to take the outright lead in Box-Toppers points (held by Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw with 20.7) since the most they could earn is 2.0 Box-Toppers points. This is the final scheduled regular season start for both pitchers.

Wacha receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Paxton receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Brantley and Alvarez each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Tuesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

924	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	14.2	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Michael Wacha (W, 4-1)	8.2	1	0	0	2	9
AL	13.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			James Paxton (W, 3-0)	7.0	4	0	0	0	10
	9.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jason Vargas (W, 9-7)	9.0	4	0	0	1	5
	8.0	`Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Wade Miley	6.0	4	0	0	1	7
	6.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 14-7)	7.0	4	1	1	1	6
	4.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyler Chatwood (W, 8-5)	7.0	3	1	0	1	2
	4.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jake Odorizzi (S, 1)	3.0	1	0	0	1	3
	4.0	`Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bruce Rondon (H, 5)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	4.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Craig Kimbrel (W, 4-3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.1	`Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dustin McGowan	1.1	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	3.0	Indians	Michael Brantley LF	4	2	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Joe Nathan (S, 41)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Vic Black (S, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Michael Stutes (W, 3-1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
BAT	1.0	Pirates	Pedro Alvarez 3B	5	1	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Rangers' Derek Holland (CG 0R 9K) tops players for Monday, Sept. 23

Rangers pitcher Derek Holland is Monday's Player of the Day. Holland pitched a complete-game shutout, striking out nine, in the 12-0 win over the Astros.

Holland earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 11.7 for the season, putting him in 36th place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Brewers pitcher Marco Estrada is National League Player of the Day. Estrada pitched seven shutout innings, giving up only two hits, in the 5-0 win over the Braves. 

Nick Hundley of the Padres is NL Batter of the Day. Hundley hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-4 in the 4-1 win over the Diamondbacks. 

Jed Lowrie of the Athletics is American League Batter of the Day. Lowrie hit a three-run homer in the 10-5 win over the Angels.

Notable: Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright had a chance to retake the lead in Box-Toppers player rankings in his start against the Nationals Monday, but did not score any Box-Toppers points. Though Wainwright earned the win in the 4-3 victory, he gave up seven hits and three runs over seven innings and his Box-Toppers game score was -1.0. Closing pitcher Trevor Rosenthal was the Cardinals Player of the Game with a Box-Toppers game score of 1.2.

Wainwright is still in third place in Box-Toppers player rankings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page) with 19.2 points. He trails overall leader, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who has 20.7. Wainwright has one last chance to catch or pass Kershaw in his scheduled start on the final day of the regular season Sunday against the Cubs. (Kershaw has his final regular season scheduled start Friday against the Rockies.)

Holland receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Estrada receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Hundley and Lowrie each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Monday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

923	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Derek Holland (W, 10-9)	9.0	6	0	0	1	9
NL	8.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Marco Estrada (W, 7-4)	7.0	2	0	0	3	6
	8.0	`Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Charlie Morton	7.0	3	0	0	1	5
	7.2	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Nathan Eovaldi (W, 4-6)	7.2	3	0	0	2	5
	4.2	`Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Yordano Ventura	5.2	2	1	1	3	6
	3.1	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Quintana (W, 9-6)	7.1	5	2	2	1	6
	3.0	`Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Johnny Cueto	7.0	3	2	1	3	5
BAT	2.0	Padres	Nick Hundley C	4	1	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	2.0	Athletics	Jed Lowrie DH	4	2	1	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Rays	James Loney PH	1	1	1	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.2	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Trevor Rosenthal (S, 1)	0.2	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Twins	Ryan Doumit PH	1	0	1	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Braves' Teheran tops players for Sunday, Sept. 22, Dodgers' Greinke rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers player rankings

Braves pitcher Julio Teheran is Sunday's Player of the Day, while Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke rises to second place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Teheran struck out seven over six innings in the 5-2 win over the Cubs on the day the Braves clinched the National League East title. Teheran earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 13.7 for the season, putting him in 22nd place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Greinke rises from fourth to second place in Box-Toppers player rankings (see the updated list on the home page)  after he earned Player of the Game honors Sunday. Greinke (5IP 0R ND in 4-0 win over Rangers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 19.4 for the season. He trails overall leader, teammate Clayton Kershaw (20.7), by 1.3 Box-Toppers points with one week—and perhaps only one more start—left in the season.

Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez is American League Player of the Day. Hernandez struck out 10 over four innings (picking up a no-decision) in the 3-2 win over the Angels. Hernandez earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points, giving him 14.8 for the season, putting him in 18th place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Daric Barton of the Athletics is AL Batter of the Day. Barton homered and went 3-for-3 in the 11-7 win over the Twins on the day the Athletics clinched the AL West title. 

Norichika Aoki of the Brewers is National League Batter of the Day. Aoki reached base four times (two walks and two hits) and scored three runs in the 6-4 win over the Cardinals. 

Coming Monday: Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, starting against the Nationals Monday, has a chance to retake the lead in Box-Toppers points. He led from Wednesday until Saturday when Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw passed him in the rankings. Wainwright has 19.2 Box-Toppers points and is in third place in player rankings. He trails Kershaw (20.7) by 1.5 Box-Toppers points. If he earns Player of the Day or NL Player of the Day honors, he would retake the lead with a week remaining in the season. 

Teheran receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hernandez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Barton and Aoki each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Sunday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

922	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	7.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Julio Teheran (W, 13-8)	6.0	4	1	1	0	7
AL	7.0	`Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Felix Hernandez	4.0	1	1	1	4	10
	5.0	`Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zack Greinke	5.0	2	0	0	1	3
BAT	4.0	Athletics	Daric Barton 1B	3	3	3	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	4.0	Brewers	Norichika Aoki RF	2	3	2	1	2	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.1	`Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Yusmeiro Petit	6.1	6	1	1	2	7
	3.0	Reds	Chris Heisey LF	5	3	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Royals	Justin Maxwell RF	4	1	2	4	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Diamondbacks	Matt Davidson 3B	4	1	2	4	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Atchison (H, 9)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Steve Cishek (S, 32)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.2	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brandon Gomes (W, 3-1)	0.2	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Indians	Michael Brantley LF	4	1	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	White Sox	Conor Gillaspie 1B	4	3	1	2	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Red Sox	Jackie Bradley Jr. CF	3	1	1	3	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Rafael Soriano (W, 3-3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw takes over Box-Toppers player rankings lead after topping players for Saturday, Sept. 21

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw takes the lead in Box-Toppers player rankings Saturday after earning Player of the Day honors.

Kershaw pitched seven shutout innings and struck out 10 in the 4-0 win over the Padres. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points, giving him 20.7 for the season, rising from third to first place in player rankings (see the top 10 list on the home page). Kershaw passes Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright (19.2 Box-Toppers points), who had led since Wednesday.

Kershaw is the first player this season to 20.0 Box-Toppers points (last year, three players broke 20.0). This is the third straight season Kershaw has earned 20.0 or more points (2011: 26.1, 2012: 20.8). Kershaw also broke 100.0 Box-Toppers points for his career. Since his debut in 2008, Kershaw has earned 101.1 Box-Toppers points and ranks 56th among all players since 1995 (when Box-Toppers record keeping began). 

This is the third time Kershaw has led in Box-Toppers player rankings this season. He led briefly in April and again from Aug. 17 to Sept. 6. 

Kershaw had a Box-Toppers game score of 12.0 Saturday, the same as Indians pitcher Scott Kazmir. Both Kershaw and Kazmir won their games, pitched seven innings and struck out 10. But Kershaw was given the nod as overall Player of the Day Saturday because he gave up fewer hits than Kazmir (three vs. four).

Kazmir is American League Player of the Day for his effort in the 4-1 win over the Astros. Kazmir earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for AL Player of the Day, giving him 11.1 for the season, putting him in 40th place overall.

Alerto Callaspo of the Athletics is AL Batter of the Day. Callaspo homered, drove in three runs and went 4-for-5 in the 9-1 win over the Twins.

David Wright of the Mets is National League Batter of the Day. Wright homered and went 2-for-3 in the 5-4 win over the Phillies. 

Notables: Two other players who earned Player of the Game honors Saturday are among the top 50 in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season: 

• Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn rises to 15th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (6.1IP 1R 7K W in the 7-2 win vs. Brewers), giving him 15.1 for the season.
• Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle rises to 48th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (6IP 1R W in 4-2 win vs. Red Sox), giving him 10.4 for the season.

Coming Sunday: Two pitchers in Box-Toppers player rankings top 10 are scheduled to start Sunday:

• Zack Greinke of Dodgers is scheduled to start against the Padres. Greinke is ranked fourth in player rankings with 18.4 Box-Toppers points. 
• Patrick Corbin of the Diamondbacks is scheduled to start against the Rockies. Corbin is ranked fifth in player rankings with 17.4 Box-Toppers points.

However, neither Greinke nor Corbin can catch the new leader Clayton Kershaw (20.7) Sunday, since the most they can earn is 2.0 Box-Toppers points. But both could put themselves in position to pass Kershaw if they have another start in the final week of the season.

Kershaw receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kazmir receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Callaspo and Wright each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Saturday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

921	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clayton Kershaw (W, 15-9)	7.0	3	0	0	2	10
AL	12.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Kazmir (W, 9-9)	7.0	4	0	0	1	10
	11.1	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alex Cobb (W, 10-3)	8.1	5	1	1	2	12
	9.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ivan Nova (W, 9-5)	9.0	6	0	0	1	7
	8.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Burnett (W, 9-11)	7.0	4	2	2	3	12
	5.2	`Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rick Porcello	6.2	6	2	2	0	9
	5.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Garza (W, 4-5)	8.0	5	1	1	1	5
BAT	4.0	Athletics	Alberto Callaspo 2B	5	2	4	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Angels	Collin Cowgill LF	2	3	2	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mark Buehrle (W, 12-9)	6.0	5	1	1	0	5
	4.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Pedro Strop (S, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.1	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Lance Lynn (W, 14-10)	6.1	4	1	1	4	7
BAT	2.0	Mets	David Wright 3B	3	2	2	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Diamondbacks	Matt Davidson 3B	4	1	1	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Nats' Jordan Zimmermann (CG 2H 0R 9K) tops players for Friday, Sept. 20

Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann is Friday's Player of the Day and rises to 17th place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Zimmermann pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout, striking out nine, in the 8-0 win over the Marlins. Zimmermann earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 14.7 for the season. 

Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon is American League Player of the Day. Colon pitched six shutout innings, striking out eight, in the 11-0 win over the Twins. Colon earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 12.7 for the season, putting him in 33rd place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Torii Hunter of the Tigers is AL Batter of the Day. Hunter went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs in the 12-5 win over the White Sox.

Chris Johnson of the Braves is National League Batter of the Day. Johnson homered, went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs in the 9-5 win over the Cubs. 

Notables: Two other players who earned Player of the Game honors Friday are among the top 50 in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season: 

• Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester rises to 30th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (7IP 1R 8K W in the 6-3 win vs. Blue Jays), giving him 12.7 for the season.
• Royals pitcher Ervin Santana rises to 46th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (7.1IP 1R ND in 2-1 win vs. Rangers), giving him 10.4 for the season.

Also: Neither of the two pitchers on Box-Toppers player rankings top 10 list who started Friday earned Box-Toppers points:

• Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer (17.1 Box-Toppers points, sixth place overall, first among AL players) started against the White Sox. Though he won his 20th game, his Box-Toppers game score was -4.0 and Torii Hunter (4-5 3RBI) was Player of the Game for the Tigers.
• Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano (16.7 Box-Toppers points, ninth place overall) started against the Reds. Though he pitched well (8IP 2R 7K), his team lost to the Reds, 6-5. He received a no-decision.

Coming Saturday: Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is in position to take the Box-Toppers points lead Saturday as he starts against the Padres. Kershaw has 18.7 Box-Toppers points for the season, in third place overall. He trails overall leader Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals, with 19.2 Box-Toppers points.

Zimmermann receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Colon receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Hunter and Johnson each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Friday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

920	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	15.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jordan Zimmermann (W, 19-8)	9.0	2	0	0	1	9
	9.2	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Robbie Erlin (W, 3-3)	7.2	4	0	0	1	7
AL	8.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bartolo Colon (W, 17-6)	6.0	5	0	0	1	8
	6.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jon Lester (W, 15-8)	7.0	5	1	1	2	8
	6.0	`Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Shoemaker	5.0	2	0	0	2	5
	4.1	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bryan Shaw (S, 1)	1.1	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	4.0	Tigers	Torii Hunter RF	5	2	4	3	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.2	`Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jake Odorizzi	3.2	1	0	0	1	2
	3.1	`Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ervin Santana	7.1	5	1	1	1	4
BAT	3.0	Braves	Chris Johnson 3B	4	2	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Cardinals	Matt Adams 1B	5	1	3	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mets	Daniel Murphy 2B	5	3	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Yankees	Alex Rodriguez DH	4	1	1	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Rockies	Troy Tulowitzki SS	3	1	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			J.J. Hoover (W, 5-5)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Cardinals' Adam Wainwright grabs slim lead in Box-Toppers player rankings with 1 week to go

Box-Toppers has a new leader in player rankings with only one week left in the season. 

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright takes the lead in the penultimate (and also next-to-last) weekly look at Box-Toppers player rankings. Wainwright has 19.2 Box-Toppers points and passed last week's leader, Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez (19.0).

Wainwright picked up 2.5 Box-Toppers points over the past week, rising from sixth to first in overall Box-Toppers player rankings. The race for the leading player in Box-Toppers points is tight going into the final week of the season, with eight players within 2.5 points of Wainwright.

Wainwright's outright lead and lead among National League pitchers is slim. Three other NL pitchers could pass him in the season's final week—Dodgers Clayton Kershaw or Zack Greinke or Patrick Corbin of the Diamondbacks. (Jose Fernandez of the Marlins was not scheduled to pitch again this season.)

National League players hold down the top five spots in player rankings. The top American League player is Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, who this week passed previous AL leader Miguel Cabrera, also of the Tigers. Scherzer is in sixth place overall in player rankings with 17.1 Box-Toppers points and Cabrera with 16.9, has fallen from fifth to eight place overall. 

Scherzer passed previous AL pitching leader Justin Masterson of the Indians this week. And Scherzer's top spot going into the final week is also not secure, with four other AL pitchers within 1.0 Box-Toppers point of him.

Cabrera maintains his dominance among AL batters. He is the sole batter among the top 10 players and leads second-place AL batter, Alfonso Soriano of the Yankees (12.9), by 4.0 Box-Toppers points.  

Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks continues to lead among NL batters with 13.7 Box-Toppers points. His nearest competitors among NL batters are both 2.2 points behind him—Freddie Freeman of the Braves and Michael Cuddyer of the Rockies both have 11.5 Box-Toppers points.

Previous player rankings report from Sept. 12. 

What are those numbers after players' names?

How does Box-Toppers scoring work?

Top players

As of Thursday, Sept. 19

	2013 LEADERS
	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	19.2
2	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	19.0
3	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	18.7
4	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	18.4
5	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	17.4
6	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	17.1
7	Sanchez, Anibal 2187	pi sp	det al	17.1
8	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	16.9
9	Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	pit nl	16.7
10	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	16.4
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	17.1
2	Sanchez, Anibal 2187	pi sp	det al	17.1
3	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	16.4
4	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	16.1
5	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	16.1
6	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	15.0
7	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	pi sp	sea al	14.4
8	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	13.1
9	Jimenez, Ubaldo 2349	pi sp	cle al	12.8
10	Tillman, Chris 2754	pi sp	bal al	12.7
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	16.9
2	Soriano, Alfonso 1445	lf	nyy al	12.9
3	Davis, Chris 2478	1b	bal al	12.7
4	Cano, Robinson 2092	2b	nyy al	12.5
5	Ortiz, David	dh	bos al	12.4
6	Raburn, Ryan 2340	rf dh lf ph	cle al	9.5
7	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	9.5
8	Butler, Billy 2330	dh	kc al	9.0
9	Encarnacion, Edwin 2098	1b dh	tor al	8.7
10	Fielder, Prince 2029	1b	det al	8.5
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	19.2
2	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	19.0
3	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	18.7
4	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	18.4
5	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	17.4
6	Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	pit nl	16.7
7	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	15.7
8	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	15.4
9	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	15.0
10	Lynn, Lance 2992	pi sp	stl nl	14.1
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	1b	ari nl	13.7
2	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	11.5
3	Cuddyer, Michael 1826	rf	col nl	11.5
4	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	lf	col nl	11.0
5	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf	dc nl	9.4
6	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	3b	dc nl	9.2
7	Venable, Will 2621	rf cf	sd nl	9.0
8	Phillips, Brandon 1691	2b	cin nl	7.5
9	Carpenter, Matt 2987	2b	stl nl	7.5
10	Murphy, Daniel 2589	2b	nym nl	7.5

BTP: Box-Toppers points for 2013 season

Detroit Tigers take Box-Toppers power rankings lead back from Los Angeles Dodgers

The Detroit Tigers have retaken the top spot in Box-Toppers power rankings, passing the leader for the previous two weeks, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In this, the penultimate (and also next-to-last) look at team power rankings before the end of the season, Tigers players have accumulated 118.9 Box-Toppers points. They were the hottest team in the American League during the past week, picking up 6.2 Box-Toppers points. In addition, the three top AL players in Box-Toppers points are Tigers: 

• Pitcher Max Scherzer has 17.1 Box-Toppers points, leads all AL players and is in sixth place overall in player rankings.
• Pitcher Anibal Sanchez has 17.1 points and is in seventh place overall in player rankings.
• Third baseman Miguel Cabrera has 16.9 points, leads all AL batters and is in eight place overall in player rankings. 

This marks a return to the top spot for the Tigers. They were in first in Box-Toppers rankings for four straight weeks, the last time Aug. 29, before losing the top spot to the surging Dodgers the past two weeks.

The Dodgers remain the top National League team with 117.7 Box-Toppers points, though they only scored 2.5 over the past week, falling from first to second place overall.

The hottest team of the past week, the San Diego Padres, picked up 7.7 Box-Toppers points and now have 79.3 points, in 22nd place overall. 

Several teams contending for playoff berths had relatively bad weeks. The New York Yankees picked up only 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving them 96.7 in 14th place overall. The Texas Rangers picked up only 2.0 Box-Toppers points, giving them 104.0, slipping from eighth to 10th in rankings. The Atlanta Braves also picked up only 2.0 Box-Toppers points, giving them 101.5, slipping from 10th to 11th place. 

The team with the best actual winning percentage, the Boston Red Sox (.604), maintained their spot in third place in Box-Toppers power rankings and are 1.7 points behind the Tigers, within striking distance of catching them during the upcoming final week of the season.

The Braves have the best actual record in the NL (.592), but are in 11th place in Box-Toppers rankings, behind four other NL teams. 

The Box-Toppers-power-rankings-leader Tigers are tied for the fourth-best record in baseball (.582). 

The St. Louis Cardinals, who led Box-Toppers team power rankings much of the season, remain in fourth place overall and second in the NL, with 113.4 Box-Toppers points. They are 4.3 points behind the NL-leading Dodgers, giving them an outside chance to take the NL lead during the final week of the season.

Top 10 teams

Through Thursday, Sept. 19

919	Top 10 Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Tigers	118.9	6.2	2
2	Dodgers	117.7	2.5	1
3	Red Sox	117.2	5.5	3
4	Cardinals	113.4	5.0	4
5	Rays	109.1	5.0	7
6	Pirates	108.6	2.7	5
7	Reds	108.2	4.0	6
8	Athletics	107.1	5.7	9
9	Indians	104.9	5.5	11
10	Rangers	104.0	2.0	8

BTP: Box-Toppers points total. Accumulated points of all players on team in 2013 season.

BTP/wk: Box-Toppers points for the team for the past week, through games on Thursday.

Red Sox' John Lackey (CG 2H) tops players for Thursday, Sept. 19

Red Sox pitcher John Lackey is Thursday's Player of the Day. Lackey, who gave up his first hit in the seventh inning, pitched a complete-game two-hitter, striking out eight, in the 3-1 win over the Orioles, clinching a playoff spot for Boston.

Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole is National League Player of the Day. Cole struck out 12 over six innings in the 10-1 win over the Padres. 

Hanley Ramirez of the Dodgers is NL Batter of the Day. Ramirez homered twice, drove in four runs and went 4-for-5 in the 7-6 win over the Diamondbacks, as Los Angeles won the NL West title. 

Prince Fielder of the Tigers is American League Batter of the Day. Fielder went 3-for-4 in the 5-4 win over the Mariners.

Notables: Two other players who earned Player of the Game honors Thursday are among the top 25 in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season: 

• Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner rises to 13th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (7IP 1R 10K W in the 2-1 win vs. Mets), giving him 15.7 for the season.
• Indians pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez rises to 25th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (7IP 1R 9K ND in 2-1 win vs. Astros), giving him 12.8 for the season.

Coming Friday: Two pitchers among the top 10 in Box-Toppers player rankings (see the list on the home page) are scheduled to start Friday:

• Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer starts against the White Sox. Scherzer has 17.1 Box-Toppers points, is in sixth place overall and leads all AL players.
• Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano starts against the Reds. Liriano has 16.7 Box-Toppers points and is in ninth place overall.

Neither Scherzer nor Liriano is in position Friday to take the outright lead in Box-Toppers points (held by Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright with 19.2) since the most they could earn is 2.0 Box-Toppers points.

Lackey receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Cole receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Ramirez and Fielder each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Thursday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

919	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			John Lackey (W, 10-12)	9.0	2	1	1	2	8
NL	9.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Gerrit Cole (W, 9-7)	6.0	4	1	1	3	12
	8.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Madison Bumgarner (W, 13-9)	7.0	4	1	1	3	10
	8.0	`Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ubaldo Jimenez	7.0	6	1	1	0	9
	7.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Todd Redmond (W, 4-2)	7.0	4	1	1	1	7
	6.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jake Arrieta (W, 3-2)	7.0	3	1	1	1	5
BAT	5.0	Dodgers	Hanley Ramirez SS	5	2	4	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	`Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Wilton Lopez	2.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.0	Nationals	Bryce Harper LF	4	1	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	2.0	Tigers	Prince Fielder 1B	4	2	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Athletics	Coco Crisp CF	4	2	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Rangers	Elvis Andrus SS	6	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

 ` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Cardinals' Adam Wainwright takes Box-Toppers points lead (with his bat); Mariners' Iwakuma tops players for Wednesday, Sept. 18

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright takes the lead Wednesday among players in Box-Toppers points for the season—but he does it with his bat. 

Wainwright is Wednesday's National League Batter of the Day, earning 1.5 Box-Toppers points, giving him 19.2 for the season. He passes previous Box-Toppers leader, Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez (19.0), who had led since Sept. 6. Wainwright, who rises from fourth to first place in Box-Toppers player rankings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page), leads for the first time this season.

Wainwright went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs in the 4-3 win over the Rockies. He is the sixth pitcher this season to earn Player of the Game honors for batting. 

Meanwhile, Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Iwakuma pitched eight scoreless innings in the 8-0 win over the Tigers. Iwakuma earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 14.4 for the season, putting him in 17th place in player rankings.

Padres pitcher Tyson Ross is National League Player of the Day. Ross struck out seven over seven innings in the 3-2 win over the Pirates. Ross picked up a no-decision because he exited with the Padres trailing, but the team came back to take the lead in the top of the ninth. 

Alcides Escobar of the Royals is American League Batter of the Day. Escobar went 2-for-4, drove in two runs and stole home in the 7-2 win over the Indians. 

Notables: Two other players who earned Player of the Game honors Wednesday are among the top 40 in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season: 

• Braves closing pitcher Craig Kimbrel rises to 32nd place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (1IP 1K Sv in 5-2 win vs. Nationals), giving him 11.7 for the season.
• Rays pitcher Chris Archer rises to 34th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (6IP ND in 4-3 win vs. Rangers), giving him 11.7 for the season.

Iwakuma receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Ross receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Wainwright and Escobar each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Wednesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

918	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	8.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hisashi Iwakuma (W, 13-6)	8.0	4	0	0	2	6
NL	7.0	`Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyson Ross	7.0	3	2	2	0	7
	6.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyler Thornburg (W, 3-1)	6.0	2	0	0	2	4
	3.2	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			David Huff (W, 3-1)	3.2	1	1	1	0	3
BAT	3.0	Cardinals	Adam Wainwright P	3	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Archer	6.0	4	2	2	1	6
	3.0	`Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cory Rasmus	2.0	1	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Glen Perkins (S, 36)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Reds	Billy Hamilton CF	4	2	3	1	2	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mets	Zach Lutz PH	1	1	1	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Diamondbacks	Martin Prado 3B	1	1	1	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Craig Kimbrel (S, 48)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
BAT	1.0	Royals	Alcides Escobar SS	4	1	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	0.0	Orioles	Matt Wieters C	5	1	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	0.0	Marlins	Giancarlo Stanton RF	4	1	1	2	1	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

 ` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Nats' Roark tops players for Tuesday, Sept. 17, Tigers' Sanchez rises to 7th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark is Tuesday's Player of the Day, while Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez rises to seventh place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Roark pitched seven scoreless innings and gave up only two hits in the 4-0 win over the Braves.

Sanchez rises to seventh in Box-Toppers player rankings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page) after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday. Sanchez (6.1IP 10K ND in 6-2 win vs. Mariners) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 17.1 for the season. He and teammate Max Scherzer both have 17.1 Box-Toppers points, but Scherzer holds the lead among AL players since he has more Box-Toppers points over the past two seasons (34.1 vs. 23.8).

Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey is American League Player of the Day. Dickey pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out eight in the 2-0 win over the Yankees. 

Matt Holliday of the Cardinals is National League Batter of the Day. Holliday homered, drove in three runs and went 4-for-4 in the 11-4 win over the Rockies. 

Alexi Casilla of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Casilla scored the go-ahead run as a pinch runner in the ninth inning in the 3-2 win over the Red Sox. 

Notable: Two top pitchers in Box-Toppers player rankings were pitted against each other Tuesday, but neither picked up Box-Toppers points. Zack Greinke of the Dodgers and Patrick Corbin of the Diamondbacks, both in Box-Toppers player rankings top 10, were both in position to take over the points lead, but neither earned Player of the Game honors. Corbin (17.4 Box-Toppers points) left the game in the third inning after giving up six runs. His team lost. Greinke (18.4 Box-Toppers points), though he pitched six innings and struck out five, had a lower Box-Toppers game score than eventual Player of the Game Matt Kemp (4.0 vs. 0.0). Greinke remains in third place in Box-Toppers player rankings and Corbin remains in fifth.

Coming Wednesday: Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright has a chance to take the lead in Box-Toppers points. Wainwright is starting pitcher against the Rockies Wednesday. Wainwright has 17.7 Box-Toppers points and is in fourth place in player rankings. He trails points leader Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez (19.0) by 1.3 Box-Toppers points. If he earns Player of the Day or NL Player of the Day honors, he would pass Fernandez. 

Roark receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Dickey receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Holliday and Casilla each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Tuesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

917	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	10.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tanner Roark (W, 7-0)	7.0	2	0	0	1	6
AL	9.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			R.A. Dickey (W, 13-12)	7.0	4	0	0	2	8
	7.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mike Leake (W, 14-6)	8.0	5	0	0	2	6
BAT	5.0	Cardinals	Matt Holliday LF	4	2	4	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Phillies	Chase Utley 2B	4	2	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Giants	Angel Pagan CF	3	2	3	3	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.1	`Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Anibal Sanchez	6.1	6	2	2	2	10
	4.0	Dodgers	Matt Kemp CF	4	1	4	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alexi Ogando (W, 7-4)	5.0	2	1	1	1	4
	4.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Grant Balfour (W, 1-3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.0	Padres	Jedd Gyorko 2B	5	2	3	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Brewers	Carlos Gomez CF	3	1	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dan Haren	6.0	3	1	1	2	4
	3.0	`White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Nate Jones (H, 13)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Perez (S, 25)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	1.0	Orioles	Alexi Casilla PR, DH	0	1	0	0	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Padres' Andrew Cashner pitches 1-hitter, tops players for Monday, Sept. 16

Padres pitcher Andrew Cashner is Monday's Player of the Day. Cashner pitched a one-hit, complete game shutout, striking out seven in the 2-0 win over the Pirates. He gave up the one hit in the seventh inning.

White Sox pitcher Erik Johnson is American League Player of the Day. Johnson pitched six shutout innings and struck out eight in the 12-1 win over the Twins. This was Johnson's Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,284th player to make his Box-Toppers debut since record keeping began in 1995.  

Caleb Gindl of the Brewers is National League Batter of the Day. Gindl homered, drove in three runs, scored three runs and went 3-for-3 in the 6-1 win over the Cubs. This was Gindl's Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,285th player to make his Box-Toppers debut since record keeping began in 1995.

No American League batters earned Player of the Game honors Monday, so there is no AL Batter of the Day. 

Notable: Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee rises to 20th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. Lee (8IP 14K W in 12-2 win vs. Marlins) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.4 for the season.

Coming Tuesday: Two of Box-Toppers top 10 pitchers face off. Zack Greinke of the Dodgers faces Patrick Corbin of the Diamondbacks. Greinke has 18.4 Box-Toppers points and is in third place in Box-Toppers standings (see the top 10 list on the home page), while Corbin has 17.4 and is in fifth. Both trail points leader Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez (19.0) and either could pass him to take the points lead after Tuesday's game.

Cashner receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Johnson receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Gindl receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.

All of Monday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

916	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	15.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Andrew Cashner (W, 10-8)	9.0	1	0	0	0	7
	10.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cliff Lee (W, 14-6)	8.0	8	2	2	0	14
AL	8.0	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Erik Johnson (W, 1-2)	6.0	4	0	0	2	8
	7.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alex Cobb (W, 9-3)	8.0	6	2	2	1	10
	7.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rick Porcello (W, 13-8)	6.0	5	1	1	2	10
BAT	6.0	Brewers	Caleb Gindl LF	3	3	3	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			James Shields (W, 12-9)	6.0	6	1	1	2	10
	4.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			C.J. Wilson (W, 17-6)	7.0	4	1	1	3	6
	4.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Johnny Cueto (W, 5-2)	5.0	5	0	0	1	5
	2.0	Rockies	Charlie Blackmon CF, LF	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.1	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Trevor Cahill (W, 7-10)	5.1	2	1	1	4	4

Padres' Burch Smith tops players for Sunday, Sept. 15, Tigers' Scherzer leads AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points

Padres pitcher Burch Smith is Sunday's Player of the Day, while Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer takes the Box-Toppers points lead among American League pitchers.

Smith pitched seven shutout innings and struck out 10 in the 4-0 win over the Braves. Smith gave up only three hits and didn't give up the first hit until the sixth inning. This was Smith's Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,281st player to make his Box-Toppers debut since record keeping began in 1995. 

Scherzer, American League Player of the Day, rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers player rankings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page) and now has more points than any other AL pitcher. Scherzer struck out 12 and gave up only one run over seven innings in the 3-2 win over the Royals. Scherzer, however picked up a no-decision because the Royals tied the game 2-2 in the eighth inning after he left—but the Tigers went ahead to stay 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth. So even though Scherzer again failed to pick up his 20th win of the season (he's 19-3), he is still the Box-Toppers Player of the Game—and AL Player of the Day.

Scherzer earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 17.1 for the season, passing previous AL pitching leader Justin Masterson of the Indians (16.4). Scherzer also becomes top overall AL player in Box-Toppers points, passing Tigers teammate Miguel Cabrera (16.9).

Wilson Ramos of the Nationals is National League Batter of the Day. Ramos drove in five runs and went 4-for-4 in the 11-2 win over the Phillies.

Matt Carson of the Indians is AL Batter of the Day. Carson homered, drove in two runs and went 3-for-3 in the 7-1 win over the White Sox. This was Carson's Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,282nd player to make his Box-Toppers debut since record keeping began in 1995. 

Notables: Two other players who earned Player of the Game honors Sunday are among the top 40 in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season: 

• Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks rises to 18th place and remains top NL batter. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (HR 5RBI 4-4 in 8-2 win vs. Rockies), giving him 13.7 for the season.
• Mets pitcher Dillon Gee rises to 40th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (7.1IP 0R 8K ND in 1-0, 12-inning win vs. Marlins), giving him 10.7 for the season.

Smith receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Scherzer receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Ramos and Carson each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Sunday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

915	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Burch Smith (W, 1-1)	7.0	3	0	0	2	10
AL	11.0	`Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Max Scherzer	7.0	5	1	1	1	12
	7.1	`Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dillon Gee	7.1	6	0	0	2	8
BAT	7.0	Nationals	Wilson Ramos C	4	2	4	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.0	Diamondbacks	Paul Goldschmidt 1B	4	1	4	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ernesto Frieri (S, 34)	2.0	1	0	0	0	4
	4.0	Giants	Hunter Pence RF	3	2	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.1	`Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tommy Hunter (H, 20)	1.1	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Cardinals	Yadier Molina C	5	3	4	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	3.0	Indians	Matt Carson RF	3	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Twins	Josmil Pinto C	3	1	1	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Red Sox	Dustin Pedroia 2B	3	2	1	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mark Melancon (S, 16)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Brewers	Jean Segura SS	4	1	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Athletics	Josh Reddick RF	4	1	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Giants' Brandon Belt (6RBI) tops players for Saturday, Sept. 14; Rays' Moore rises to 10th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Brandon Belt of the Giants is Saturday's Player of the Day, while Rays pitcher Matt Moore rises to 10th place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Belt homered, drove in six runs, scored four times and went 5-for-6 in the 19-3 win over the Dodgers.

Moore rose to 10th place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). Moore (3IP 0R 5K ND in 7-0 win vs. Twins) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 16.1 for the season, only 0.3 points behind American League pitching leader Justin Masterson of the Indians (16.4).

Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon is AL Player of the Day. Colon pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out seven, in the 1-0 win over the Rangers. Colon earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 10.4 for the season, putting him in 44th place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Moises Sierra of the Blue Jays is AL Batter of the Day. Sierra doubled and drove in two runs in the 4-3 win over the Orioles. 

Notables: Two other players who earned Player of the Game honors Saturday are among the top 40 in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season: 

• Indians pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez rises to 31st place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (8.1IP 1R 8K W in 8-1 win vs. White Sox), giving him 11.8 for the season.
• Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester rises to 32nd place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (8IP 1R 5K W in 5-1 win vs. Yankees), giving him 11.7 for the season. 

Belt receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Colon receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Sierra receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

All of Saturday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

914	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Giants	Brandon Belt 1B	6	4	5	6	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	8.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Henderson Alvarez (W, 4-4)	7.0	4	0	0	0	5
AL	7.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bartolo Colon (W, 16-6)	8.0	7	0	0	1	7
	7.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			James Paxton (W, 2-0)	6.0	2	0	0	2	5
	6.1	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kris Medlen (W, 14-12)	7.1	4	0	0	2	5
	6.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jon Lester (W, 14-8)	8.0	3	1	1	2	5
	5.2	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ervin Santana (W, 9-9)	6.2	5	0	0	1	5
	5.1	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ubaldo Jimenez (W, 12-9)	8.1	8	1	1	1	8
	5.0	Reds	Shin-Soo Choo CF	3	3	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Daisuke Matsuzaka (W, 1-3)	7.0	2	1	1	1	3
	4.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Gerrit Cole (W, 8-7)	7.0	5	1	1	3	7
	4.0	`Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Moore	3.0	1	0	0	3	5
	2.0	Diamondbacks	Aaron Hill 2B	5	1	3	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	2.0	Blue Jays	Moises Sierra RF	2	1	1	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Angels	Chris Iannetta C	4	1	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	0.0	Phillies	Carlos Ruiz C	5	0	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Rays' Archer tops players for Friday, Sept. 13, Cards' Wainwright rises to 4th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Rays pitcher Chris Archer is Friday's Player of the Day, while Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright rises to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. 

Archer pitched six shutout innings and struck out seven in the 3-0 win over the Twins. Archer rises to 41st in Box-Toppers player rankings. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 10.7 for the season. 

Wainwright rises from sixth to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season after earning Player of the Game honors Friday (see the updated top 10 list on the home page).  Wainwright (8IP 1R 6K ND in 2-1, 10-inning win vs. Mariners) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 17.7 for the season.

Wainwright is among five National League pitchers holding down the top five overall spots in Box-Toppers player rankings, all of whom are only 1.6 points apart. With only two weeks left in the season, that makes the race for top NL pitcher—and top overall Box-Toppers points leader—a virtual toss-up. The current overall leader is Marlins rookie pitcher Jose Fernandez with 19.0 Box-Toppers points. (Fernandez is not scheduled pitch again this season.) Any one of the four pitchers trailing Fernandez could claim the top overall spot after their next start.

Brewers pitcher Kyle Lohse is American League Player of the Day. Lohse pitched a complete game, giving up only one run, in the 5-1 win over the Reds.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia of the Red Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Saltalamacchia hit a grand slam and went 2-for-3 in the 8-4 win over the Yankees. 

Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals is NL Batter of the Day. Zimmerman homered and went 3-for-5 in the 6-1 win over the Phillies. 

Archer receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Lohse receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Saltalamacchia and Zimmerman each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Friday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

913	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	10.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Archer (W, 9-7)	6.0	3	0	0	0	7
NL	7.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kyle Lohse (W, 10-9)	9.0	4	1	1	1	5
	6.2	`Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Danny Salazar	3.2	4	0	0	2	9
BAT	5.0	Red Sox	Jarrod Saltalamacchia C	3	2	2	4	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Athletics	Josh Donaldson 3B	3	2	2	3	2	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Astros	Matt Dominguez 3B	2	1	1	4	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	`Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Adam Wainwright	8.0	6	1	1	2	6
	4.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Nick Vincent (W, 5-3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.2	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tommy Hunter (W, 5-4)	1.2	1	0	0	0	3
BAT	2.0	Nationals	Ryan Zimmerman 3B	5	3	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Rockies	Wilin Rosario C	5	1	2	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Cubs	Brian Bogusevic LF	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Tigers	Prince Fielder 1B	4	1	2	3	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mets	Andrew Brown RF	2	2	1	1	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Giants	Hunter Pence RF	4	2	2	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Marlins' Jose Fernandez leads all players in Box-Toppers points—does he have a shot at Cy Young? Probably not

With only two weeks left in the season, Box-Toppers has a new leader atop player standings—rookie Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez. 

Fernandez, who has 19.0 Box-Toppers points this season, passed last week's leader, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who has 18.7 points and is in second place. 

But Fernandez' days atop player rankings may be numbered. He made what was expected to be his final start of the season this week, in part to protect his young arm and also because the Marlins are not in the playoff hunt.

The race for the not-at-all coveted top spot in Box-Toppers player rankings is a tight one. Any one of the top 10 players, who are within 2.9 Box-Toppers points of the lead, could rise and claim it. Nine of the top 10 players are pitchers and could have two or three starts left in the season, giving them plenty of opportunity to pick up 3.0 or more Box-Toppers points to claim the top spot.

The race for top National League pitcher is extremely tight, with Fernandez currently narrowly leading the way. The top four players are all National League pitchers and are only 1.6 points apart. So, for example, if Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin were to earn at least NL Player of the Day honors in his next start, he would earn 1.7 points and have 19.1 for the season, enough to pass Fernandez.

The top American League player remains Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers. The third baseman—the sole batter among the top 10—has 16.9 Box-Toppers points and is in fifth place overall. Though other AL pitchers could challenge him for overall top AL player in Box-Toppers points, his lead among AL batters seems secure—he leads second-place player Alfonso Soriano of the Yankees (12.9) by 4.0 Box-Toppers points.

The top American League pitcher remains Justin Masterson of the Indians with 16.4 Box-Toppers points. He falls from seventh to eight place overall. Masterson continues to lead AL pitchers despite not scoring a Box-Toppers point since July 27. 

Still, he has maintained a narrow lead among AL pitchers of 1.3 points or less since then. In other words, Masterson is not exactly on fire and no other AL pitchers seem eager to steal his crown from him. (Masterson has been injured recently but hopes to return to pitching before the end of the season.) 

Masterson's lead among AL pitchers does appear shaky, with five other pitchers within 1.5 Box-Toppers points of catching him with two weeks left. 

Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks continues to lead among NL batters with 12.7 Box-Toppers points. There are three players who trail him by fewer than 2.0 Box-Toppers points. Freddie Freeman of the Braves and Michael Cuddyer of the Rockies, both of whom have 11.5 Box-Toppers points and both of whom have been hot recently, seem to have the best shot of catching Goldschmidt.

Now: Would any of these leaders in Box-Toppers points categories have any shot at all of winning actual coveted postseason awards? 

For example, if Fernandez keeps his lead among NL pitchers, would he be worthy of winning the NL Cy Young Award? Worthy? Yes. Will he get it? Unlikely, since he comes from a non-playoff team and an ignored media market.  It will probably be Kershaw. However, Fernandez should receive more-than-serious consideration for NL Rookie of the Year.

Will Justin Masterson win the AL Cy Young if he keeps his lead? No, probably not. Though Box-Toppers credits him with being most responsible for bringing his teams wins more often, I don't think he is viewed as The One for the Indians. Plus, the Tigers have overshadowed the Indians in the AL Central and their pitchers, especially Max Scherzer who has 19 wins, have been the media favorites.

Will Cabrera win AL most valuable player? Yes. He should. 

Will Goldschmidt win NL MVP? No. Again, he's playing for a non-playoff team. Freddie Freeman of the Braves, in second in Box-Toppers NL batters list, would be a good candidate, but I think writers will probably pick an "intangible" guy, a leader in the clubhouse, a "spark plug" on the field, a light-hitting catcher or something. Or perhaps even someone like Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers. Though the rookie is a media juggernaut, he earned his 1.5 and only Box-Toppers points of the season on June 4.

Previous player rankings report from Sept. 5. 

What are those numbers after players' names?

How does Box-Toppers scoring work? 

Top players

As of Thursday, Sept. 12

	2013 LEADERS
	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	19.0
2	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	18.7
3	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	18.4
4	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	17.4
5	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	16.9
6	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	16.7
7	Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	pit nl	16.7
8	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	16.4
9	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	16.1
10	Sanchez, Anibal 2187	pi sp	det al	16.1
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	16.4
2	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	16.1
3	Sanchez, Anibal 2187	pi sp	det al	16.1
4	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	15.4
5	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	15.1
6	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	15.0
7	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	13.1
8	Tillman, Chris 2754	pi sp	bal al	12.7
9	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	pi sp	sea al	12.4
10	Buchholz, Clay 2363	pi sp	bos al	11.1
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	16.9
2	Soriano, Alfonso 1445	lf	nyy al	12.9
3	Davis, Chris 2478	1b	bal al	12.7
4	Cano, Robinson 2092	2b	nyy al	12.5
5	Ortiz, David	dh	bos al	12.4
6	Raburn, Ryan 2340	rf dh lf ph	cle al	9.5
7	Butler, Billy 2330	dh	kc al	9.0
8	Encarnacion, Edwin 2098	1b dh	tor al	8.7
9	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	8.5
10	Beltre, Adrian 1141	3b	tex al	8.4
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	19.0
2	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	18.7
3	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	18.4
4	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	17.4
5	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	16.7
6	Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	pit nl	16.7
7	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	15.4
8	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	15.0
9	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	14.7
10	Lynn, Lance 2992	pi sp	stl nl	14.1
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	1b	ari nl	12.7
2	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	11.5
3	Cuddyer, Michael 1826	rf	col nl	11.5
4	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	lf	col nl	11.0
5	Venable, Will 2621	rf cf	sd nl	9.0
6	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf	dc nl	8.4
7	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	3b	dc nl	7.7
8	Phillips, Brandon 1691	2b	cin nl	7.5
9	Carpenter, Matt 2987	2b	stl nl	7.5
10	Murphy, Daniel 2589	2b	nym nl	7.5

BTP: Box-Toppers points for 2013 season

Los Angeles Dodgers stay atop Box-Toppers team rankings for second week

The Los Angeles Dodgers are atop Box-Toppers power rankings for the second straight week. 

Dodgers players have accumulated 115.2 Box-Toppers points this season. Two of the top three players in Box-Toppers points this season are Dodgers pitchers—Clayton Kershaw (18.7, second place) and Zack Greinke (18.4, third place).

The Detroit Tigers remain the second-ranked team and the top American League team. The Tigers have 112.7 Box-Toppers points. 

The hottest team of the past week, the Washington Nationals, picked up 8.0 Box-Toppers points and now have 93.4 points, in 14th place overall. 

The hottest American League team, the Oakland Athletics, picked up 6.7 points and now have 101.4 points, in ninth place. 

The Texas Rangers were among the worst teams of the week, picking up only 1.0 Box-Toppers point over the past week, but they fell only one spot, from seventh to eighth place in Box-Toppers power rankings. 

The team with the best actual winning percentage, the Atlanta Braves (.603), fell from ninth to 10th place in Box-Toppers power rankings. The Boston Red Sox (.601) have the best record in the AL and are in third place in Box-Toppers rankings. The Box-Toppers-power-rankings-leader Dodgers have the third best record in baseball (.589).

Top 10 teams

Through Thursday, Sept. 12

912	Top 10 Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Dodgers	115.2	3.0	1
2	Tigers	112.7	4.2	2
3	Red Sox	111.7	4.5	3
4	Cardinals	108.4	6.5	5
5	Pirates	105.9	4.7	6
6	Reds	104.2	4.0	8
7	Rays	104.1	2.0	4
8	Rangers	102.0	1.0	7
9	Athletics	101.4	6.7	10
10	Braves	99.5	3.0	9

BTP: Box-Toppers points total. Accumulated points of all players on team in 2013 season.

BTP/wk: Box-Toppers points for the team for the past week, through games on Thursday.